Newspaper Page Text
September 18, 1912]
P&AYEJL
Choice Thoughts by .Voted People,?
Selected by C. T. Wettsteln.
Fr. L. you Hardenberg (Novahs),
(Jftrmftn nnpf )Tt? "Tho
"Prayer Is to religion what thinking is
to philosophy. To pray is to make religion."
Sir Edward Lytton Bulwer, English
author:
"Know thyself, sadd the sage of old.
Is that maxim wiBe? If so, know thy
soul. But never yet did man come to
the thorough conviction of soul, but
what he acknowledged the sovereign
necessity of prayer. In my awe, in my
rapture, all my thoughts seemed enlarged
and illumined and exalted. 1
prayed, and all my soul seemed one
prayer."? From "A Strange Story."
Anonymous. In New York "Christian
Herald:"
In "The Christian Herald" of March
29, 1911, Rev. C. W. Stephenson, Detroit,
.Mich., askB: "Shall we not tl:ank God
sometimes that he has quite as often
said no as yes to our unwise and narrow
petitions "
My answer to above question, from
the bottom of my soul, is, yes. I am
one of those who thanked God daily that
he has not granted some of my most
ardent prayers and wishes. And it is
experience, personal experience, that
makes me say this.
If God had granted my prayer 1 would
not have had the good and noble wife
that made my life one of the happiest
on earth. If God had granted my earnest
wish I would have gone into a
business which I thought I would be
able to manage successfully, but in
which?as I found out in after years?
I would have made a sad failure by not
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having the necessary experience. This
would, nave. made an unhappy man of
me for the rest of my life.
If God had granted my ardent prayers
for the life of my beautiful first
uu?u puu nucu uc was UUL0U NUK wi1ci1
u.ne months old, 1 never would have
been the man I am now; I would have
remained a good-for-nothing fellow, a
disgrace to my family. But when i
stood with tmy dear, despairing wile ai
the cradle containing; the lifeless body
of our only child, the question arose in
my mind, why has God taken this beautiiul
child from us? why has he not
granted my prayers for the life of our
dear child?
Then, sudenly, a low voice spoke to
my soul: 'Thou shalt not have any
other gods beside me." It brought me
to my knees; it followed me night and
day. Yes, I always prayed; prayed for
earthly, material things, but never for
spiritual blessings. We had made this
child our god, our idol. Here, at the
cradle of our only treasure, my eyes
were opened. Here I found my Saviour;
he comforted me in my great affliction
bo that I was soon able to say, "Thy
wtli be done."
Since then 1 have thanked God?more
than for all other rich blessings he has
nestowed upon me?for that day when
he opened my eyes and made a new
man of me.
And it is yet like a miracle before
my eyes?from that day on my material
circumstances changed. Prom a poor
u.an w no had tried hard for years to
gain a foothold on the first rung of the
ladder to a successful business career,
but always in vain, II gradually advanced
to a firmly established business. k
was as if an Invisible hand had opened
the Toad for me and placed me on a
ovuu iwviu^. x CDr LUiUllU) MJ UDU ll/r
the prayers he does not grant; he knows
best what is good for his children.
I never speak of these experiences to
anyibody, not even to my own family;
but it may be that some "burdened and
heavily laden souls" may receive a little
comfort from them; therefore I have
answered the question of Rev. Stephenson
by some of <my experiences.
SOMEBODY FRAYED.
Grace Dolen, in Western Christian Ad.
rocate.
Somebody prayed, and refreshing rain
Fell on the parching grass and grain;
Cooling, reviving, the drouth was stayed
And food wbb growing?for somebody
prayed.
Somebody prayed, and & hospital grew,
With long, oool windows and lovely
view,
With clean white cots for fevered heads,
And white capped nurses with gentle
tread.
Somebody prayed, and from war came
peace,
With honor for heroes' and captives'
release;
The dove in the cannon's mouth, undismayed
And fearless sits?for somebody prayed.
Somebody prayed, and peaceful rest
Sweetly came to the troubled breast,
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AN OF THE SOUTH
Bringing new hope where anguish before
Crushed and darkened the lifepath o'er.
Somebody prayed, and across the sea
The old, old story of Calvary,
Vvith its new, sweet meaning of love
untold
To the waiting million hearts was told.
Somebody prayed! O gift divine!
Linked with service for yours and mine;
Communing each day with a living
Lord,
Working and waiting to prove His word.
Fenelou: Francois I>e Salignac De
La Mathe, Archbishop and author in
France:
"Prayer is so. necessary, and the
source of so many blessings, that ne
who has discovered tne treasure cannot
'be prevented from having recourse <
to it wnenever he has an opportunity,
u. it. t. Hacgregor:
"f layer is not only not to be omitted;
it is not to be hurried. We are to ay- >
yioacu God in prayer not only witb a.
sober, but witn a calm mind. Dew falls,
we are told, only when tne atmosyueie
is suu, and tbe dew of prayer will la.,
abundantly on our souls only wneu ? ?
are at leisure. Do more by doing less,
'xo pray well is to work well."
itobert Louis Stevenson: A prayer:
"O Lord, look down upon ourselves
ana our absent dear ones. Help us anu
tneui; prolong our days in peace ana
honor. Give us health, food, bright
weather and light hearts. In what w?.
meditate of evil frustrate our wild; in
what of good, further onr endeavors. <
Cause injuries to be foigot and benefits .
to be remembered. Let us lie down 1
without fear, and awaken and arise <
with exultation lor his sake in whose
words we now conclude."
Henry Alexander Lavely: In Chris
tian work:
iPrayer is Che atmosphere in which i
tue Christian lives; the key which opens i
the door of heaven; the wire which connects
us with the great white throne; i
the gate through wtfich we enter into
the presence chamber of the Eternal;
the highway on which we meet the
King in his beauty; the pillar of cloud
by day and of lire by night which lead
us Chrough the wilderness of this world
to the bright Canaan beyond; the valley
in which stll waters flow, and Easter
lilies bloom in which He, whose name
is wonderful, revealed Hiniself; the
golden stairway by which the angels
convey the longings of our hearts up to
our Heavenly Father." i
Christian Kegister, Boston:
"The phrase in the Liord's Prayer,
'Thy will be done,' need once to 'be
taken as the supreme test of a Christian's
absolute submission to the 'Divine
decrees, of whatever nature these
might be, and whether they affected the
present or the future. To a(xyuiesce
wholly and unconditionally In any personal
humiliation or sorrow, even to
rejoice In it as contributing to the
glory of God and the fulfilment of His
divme purpose, was asserted to be the
first step toward the reception of God's
grace. With the coming of a more
humane theology, it was easier to fit the
prayer into present and actual needs;
but it has always been rather a prayer
of submission than an aspiration for .
co-operation in the will of God. Yet the
prayer is not merely one for strength
to do. The will of God is no far-away
abstraction, involving possibilities from
which reason and affection alike shrink
in terror; but it is something actual \
and concrete. It means continual 1
growth in health, wisdom, peace, broth- ]
erhood. The will of the Eternal is i
righteousness, and to pray sincerely the
prayer, 'Thy will be done!' means to
pledge ourselves to the right help actively
in bringing His kingdom on earth."
(1075) 21
THE BIBLE STANDARD OF PHACTICAL
CHRISTIANITY.
(continued from page 19.)
loved disciole: "And now little children
abide in him, that if he shall appear we
may have boldness, and not 'be ashamed
before him at his coming," not be afraid
of the condemnation. "Inasmuch as ye
did it not unto one of the least of these
my little ones, ye did it not unto me."
"Since Christ is still alive in every man
Who has within him one uprising germ
Of heaven-reaching life, though crushed,
infirm,
And dwindling in the hot simoonB that
fan.
Only the jungle growths of earth, we
can
Best minister to Him iby helping them
Who dare not touch his hallowed garment's
hem.
Their lives are even as ours: one piece
one plany
Hlm know we not, Him shall we never
know
Till we behold Him in the least of these
Who suffer or who sin. In sin-sicksouls
He suffering lies, and asks our sympathies.
Their grateful eyes, Thy benison bestow,
Brother and Lord,?"Ye did it unto me."
Bristol, Va.
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
(Continued from page 8..
"Jesus said unto them, I am the bread
of life."?John 6:35. The lessons:
Jesus does not resent interruption or
Intrusion. He heals all that have need
of healing. He does not sympathize
with his disciples who would dismiss
lub crowd, ne is ready to feed the
hungry. He asks that little ones be
brought to him. He multiplies what we
offer. His blessing and breaking are
means to enlargement. He encourages
no waste. He uses human instrumentalities
to accomplish his ends.
IF I HAD A FRIEND.
By Palmer Uartsougli.
If I had a friend so. true
Who my every trial knew.
Who would be my strength and stay
In my weakness day by day,
I would love him,
I Would trust him.
Wouldn't you?
If I had a friend so strong
Who could overcome all wrong,
Who could shield me from all harm
In the darkness and the storm,
I would love him,
1 would trust him,
Wouldn't you?
If I had a friend so great
Who could open heaven's gate,
Who could lie within the grave
And could' rise with power to save,
I would love him,
1 would trust hJrm,
Wouldn't you?
If I had a friend so dear
Who would Journey "with me here.
Who would lead me through the gloom
And the shadow of the tomb,
I would love him,
J would trust him,
Wouldn't you?
411 together?
Such a friend is Christ, who died,
For our sins was crucified;
Risen now he lives above,
Cares for us in tender love.
I will lore Him,
I will trues Him,
Wouldn't you?
?Ex.